


One Shot, Two Shot, Red Shot, Blue Shot

by Carrie_Poppins



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Angst, F/M, Fluff, One Shot, Two Shot
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-14
Updated: 2019-08-28
Packaged: 2020-05-12 00:48:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 7,588
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19218223
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Carrie_Poppins/pseuds/Carrie_Poppins
Summary: A random series of unrelated one shots and drabbles. If you have ideas for prompts, post in the comments!





	1. Claws Out

    In all of Adrien's nightmares - nightmares of Lila turning out to be Ladybug, nightmares of Ladybug jumping into the mouth of a T-Rex, nightmares of being trapped eternally in his big empty house, nightmares of his friends turning their backs on him, nightmares of losing Plagg, nightmares of his mother's disappearance, nightmares of his father's death at the hands of Jackady -  _ nothing _ had been as horrible as the sight of Marinette Dupain-Cheng, lying on the classroom floor in fetal position, blood blossoming across her stomach, her face streaked in tears while bruises in the suspicious form of a handprint darken on her throat and Alya sobs hysterically over her body, fumbling with her phone as everyone in the room tries to figure out what the  _ hell _ happened.

    In a split second, Adrien makes a decision, consequences to himself be  _ damned  _ because his identity will never be more important than Marinette's life.

    "Plagg, claws out!"

    He hears the gasps, the expletives, and the  _ thud  _ of a backpack hitting the floor, but none of that matters because Marinette has never looked so small in his arms as she does in that moment, her hazy eyes fluttering uncertainly as they try to focus on his face and her breath hitching as he cradled her to his chest and destroys the window with a word and a touch and leaps to the nearest rooftop and runs faster than he has ever run before because he knows that Marinette's life depends on it.

    "Ch-Chat?"

    "Don't worry, Princess. You're gonna be alright."

    "Chat my… my earrings! Lila-"

    "Save your strength. Don't try to speak."

    "Chat, she took Tikki!"

_ Tikki?! _

    Adrien freezes, skidding to a stop as Marinette shudders and coughs, the effort of her frantic cry sending sprays of blood across his costume, but all he can do is stare at her, counting each freckle and taking in the gentle bluish gleam of her blood-soaked pigtails before his eyes travel to her earlobes, torn and bloody as though her ever-present black studs have literally been ripped from her ears.

    "M… My Lady?" he whispers, and when her bluebell eyes flicker up to meet his, he can't deny it any longer. "Oh my-"

    Her eyes roll back and she slumps against him, the last of her strength spent. Panic surges through his gut; the only thing keeping him from frantically shaking her and begging her to wake up is the insistent beep of his ring, pointedly reminding him that he only has four more minutes to save her.

    His Lady.

    His Princess.

    He slams the door of the emergency wing open with barely a minute to spare, shouting for help and after starting in shock, a couple of nurses have the presence of mind to direct him to a gurney to lay her down on before they promptly rush her into the back room for immediate surgery. It kills him to let them take her, but moments later the frantic beeping of his ring sends him scurrying instinctively into the bathroom. He barely manages to close the stall door before his transformation melts off of him and Plagg lands hard against his shoulder.

    "Sorry, Kid. I gave you as much time as I could," the kwami groaned.

    "You're… not mad?"

    Plagg levels him with such a ferocious look, he almost doesn't even look like himself anymore. "Kid, if you hadn't transformed to save your Bug back there, then I would have taken the Ring away myself."

    Adrien blinks at him, a little startled, before he manages a small, weak smile. Silently, he fishes out a piece of Camembert cheese from his pocket and passes it to the tiny God. "How long will it be until they let me see her again?" he wonders aloud.

    "Long enough for us to save Tikki," Plagg growls back, taking a huge bite from his treat.

_ Tikki _ . 

_ "She took Tikki! My earrings!" _

    The snarl building in Adrien's chest is far more animal than human. 

_     "Lila-!" _

    In that moment, Adrien Agreste knew that he has never felt true hatred before. Not until now. Not until she had hurt his Princess.

    Plagg gulped the last of his cheese, flying up to his boy's eye level, his expression darker and more befitting a God of Destruction than Adrien has ever seen before. 

    "Claws out."


	2. Scars

_     "No one will notice if I'm gone, My Lady." _

    "Marinette? You okay?"

    "Hm? Oh, yeah. I'm fine, Alya."

    "Well, if you say so," her BFF frowned, turning back to rubbing sunscreen all over her scantly bikini-clad body.

_ No one will notice. _

    What on Earth had Chat  _ meant  _ by that?! Marinette had been too flabbergasted the night before to stop him before he bounded off the rooftop, heading - she presumed - for home, and with both of their transformations almost spent, she hadn't had a chance to chase him down and scream at him that  _ she'd _ notice for heaven's sake! He was her  _ partner,  _ her  _ other half!  _

    She couldn't live without him.

    "Hey Alya! Marinette!" Nino shouted, waving towards them, a volleyball tucked under his arm. "Wanna play with us?"

    "Sure!" Alya called back, grinning. "Come on, Marinette, let's go! It'll be fun!"

    The young designer blinked at her a few times before she fully registered just what she was being invited to do. With a sigh, she pushed herself upright, dropped her pink cover-up on her towel, and walked quietly after her friend. 

    Beach volleyball  _ was _ fun, but it was hard to get her heart in it when she was still so worried about her Kitty. Even seeing Adrien flushed and grinning as he spiked a ball over the net wasn't as remarkable as it should have been.

_ No one. _

    Wasn't she someone?

    Eventually the ball hit the ground, and it was Adrien's turn to serve. He grinned breathlessly at Nino, then asked for a quick time out to take off his t-shirt. Why he was still wearing it, Marinette had no idea, but Alya was certainly throwing her meaningful looks as her eyes followed him to the edge of the court and watched him shuck off the extra layer.

    She stiffened.

_ Oh kwamis. _

    Adrien turned back to the group, gathering up his ball as he headed for the server's position. 

    Almost as though in a trance, Marinette moved too, intercepting him. His head tilted curiously to one side, his emerald green eyes bright and familiar and burning with questions as she raised a hand towards his cheek -

    And  _ slapped  _ him. Hard.

    "Marinette!!"

    "Whoa, what the heck, dude?!"

    " _ Marinette Dupain-Cheng!!!!!" _

__ "Yeesh, what's got her worked up?"

    "You  _ stupid  _ cat!!"

    The entire class fell utterly still, shocked silent by the tears spilling down Marinette's cheeks. "' _ No one would notice?!? _ ' What the heck kind of a response is that when I'm trying to tell you to be more careful?! Kwamis damn it,  _ I  _ would notice!!  _ We _ would notice!! You stupid,  _ stupid  _ kitten!" she sobbed, pressing her face against his bare chest even as she beat her fists weakly against it, hardly even aware of Adrien cautiously wrapping his arms around her. 

    With another choked sob, Marinette responded in kind, wrapping her arms around his torso and clutching his shoulder blades, feeling the ridges and marks of every single scar, from every single time he had taken a hit meant for a civilian, or a teammate, or for her.

    Especially for her.

    "My Lady, that's my job. I'm the black cat, remember? I take the hit, because the city needs you more than it needs me. I would gladly die fo-"

    " _ No, _ " Marinette snapped sharply, vehemently. "Don't say that. Don't you  _ dare  _ say that. I don't  _ want  _ you to die for me, Adrien. I want you to  _ live  _ for me. The city can think what it wants, but without Chat Noir, there is no Ladybug. And I don't care how cheesy that may sound because I can't do this without you,  _ minou _ ," she whispered, hating that her voice comes out as more of a whimper. "I can't keep watching you get hurt."

    Adrien's eyes widened, his shock palpable. "I… I'm sorry, my Lady. I guess… I'd never thought of it that way."

    Marinette didn't respond, she just held him tightly, hoping to communicate what she couldn't get across in words. She felt him shift, leaning down to press his lips against the crown of her head. 

    "It's alright, Princess. I'm here; I'm right here and I'm not going anywhere, I promise."

    She sniffled, but nodded, reluctantly pulling away from him so that she could meet his gentle smile with a warbly one of her own. Then Marinette heard the distinct sound of a throat being cleared behind her, and suddenly remembered their audience.

    Marinette froze, then slowly, hesitantly, turned back towards Alya, on of her arms still wrapped around his waist.

    "Well," Alya said slowly, her expression oddly blank, "as glad as I am that somehow  _ both _ of my ships are sailing, I think that the two of you have some explaining to do."


	3. Like Her

    When she heard the heavy thud on her balcony, Marinette’s first instinct was to ignore it. But before long there came a sharp rap at her window, and she knew that she couldn’t pretend not to have heard. So, with a reluctant sigh, she set aside her homework and climbed the ladder up to her bed, pushed up her window hatch and clambered out onto the balcony.

    Chat Noir stood exactly where she’d thought he would be, leaning against her railing, turned away from her. She stood quietly beside the trapdoor, arms folded across her chest, her expression set in a scowl, because she’d be damned before she apologized to him. 

    “That was incredibly stupid of you,” he says eventually.

    “Pot, meet kettle,” Marinette growled back.

    He turned sharply towards her, his cat eyes flashing in the light from her window. “That’s different!” he snapped. “It’s  _ my _ job to throw myself in front of akumas, not yours!”

    “Ladybug wasn’t there!” Marinette snarled back. “She couldn’t protect you, and you were too dizzy to protect yourself! What do you think she’d have done if she had seen you in that position? Do you think she would have hesitated to jump in? I think not!”

    “ _ Ladybug _ has a magical supersuit to keep her from getting hurt! You don’t! If that akuma had gotten any closer to you -”

    “But she didn’t! I’m  _ fine _ Chat, and so are you thanks to me! I refuse to apologize for saving your stupid life!”

    “Marinette-”

    “And don’t you dare give me some stupid line about how you have nine lives because we  _ both _ know that isn’t true! You may have super agility and night vision but you are not immortal and I can’t watch you get hurt anymore!”

    “ _ Marinette _ -”

    “I don’t care if your a superhero or what-have-you; under that mask you’re still human and there are people who care about you and even if they don’t  _ I _ still care about you and I  _ need _ you, Chat, I can’t- Mmph!”

    Marinette stiffened, eyes blowing wide as Chat’s lips landed on hers. It didn’t feel  _ romantic _ per say. It felt more like he just wanted her to shut up long enough for him to get a word in edge-ways. But that didn’t stop her from fluttering her eyes shut, sending angry tears spilling down her cheeks, nor from leaning into the kiss, into his warmth, reassuring herself that he was really still here.

    He pulled away, and when he did she could feel him shaking. 

    “Chat?” she whispered cautiously. He shook his head, his face turned away so that she had to duck her head slightly to see the tears gleaming in his own eyes, the hard set of his jaw, the raw pain in his posture. “Chat, what’s wrong?”

    “I… I can’t lose you, Mari,” he whispered, his voice breaking slightly. “I can’t lose you like I lost her.”

    “Her? Who-” she squeaked in surprise when he suddenly wrapped his arms around her, crushing her to his chest. Every breath was heavy. His heart was pounding. His tail wrapped around her waist, completely cocooning her in his embrace. Confused, Marinette wrapped her arms around him in return, somehow sensing that he needed her close, needed the reassurance that she was still alive and well.

    “You’re one of my only friends, Mari,” Chat whispered, sending a strange chill down her back. “I can’t let you get hurt. I  _ can’t _ . So please. Please promise me that you won’t do anything like that again. Please.”

    Marinette hesitated, resting her forehead against his chest. She should nod. She should say yes. She should do something - anything - to reassure him that she won’t be reckless like that again. But she can’t. She can’t lie to him. 

    “Chat… you’re one of my best friends. And that means I take care of you, no matter what. If I see you in danger again, then I don’t think I’ll be able to stop myself from jumping in.”

    He groaned, leaning away from her, but she placed a finger against his lips before he could open his mouth to speak. “But,” she whispered, “I  _ will _ promise to be more careful in the future, okay? As long as you promise to be more careful too.”

    For a long minute, Chat searched her eyes, seeking the confirmation of her promise, before slowly, he nodded. “Okay. I promise.”

    They remained wrapped up together for a few minutes before, reluctantly, Chat pulled away, claiming that he needed to get home. As he climbed onto her railing, Marinette, against her better judgement, stepped forward one last time. 

    “Chat?”

    “Yes, Princess?”

    “Who… who was she? The… person that you lost?” She shouldn’t have asked. It was too personal. She shouldn’t have done it. But she couldn’t help herself.

    Chat stiffened, his eyes darkening before he glanced away. “She… She was my mother.”

    Marinette’s caught her breath, her hand fluttering to her mouth. “Chat… I’m sorry.”

    He shook his head, then turned back to her with a forced smile. “You look like her, you know.”

    “I… I do?”

    “Yeah. You have her smile.”


	4. Pretty Princess

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had a request to do something fluffy. This popped into my head this morning.

    Marinette stared up at the mansion and took a deep breath, silently cursing Alya as she did so. Steeling herself, she marched to the front gate and pressed the call button, then waited with bated breath. 

    She jumped, just like the last time she did this, when the camera popped out of the wall and stared down at her like some alien eyeball. But, instead of Nathalie’s cool, clipped voice, all that she heard on the other end of the line was a deep grunt. 

    “Um. Uh. Hi. Um. I’m… from Adrien’s class and… I… brought his homework?”  she squeaked, helfting her bookbag with a weak smile. 

    Another grunt, then, instead of opening the mailbox like she was expecting, there came a soft buzz and the gates swung open. Marinette blinked at them in disbelief for a few seconds, then quickly jumped forward, hurrying inside and closing the gate behind her before running - and nearly falling - up the steps. When the door opened, it was Adrien’s massively built bodyguard standing there, taking a step back to usher her inside. Marinette didn’t see any sign of Nathalie - that was probably why Mr. Gorilla had been the one to answer the doorbell, and the reason why she was being allowed inside rather than just dropping his things off. 

    Marinette glanced expectantly up towards the man, and he quietly led the way down the huge hallways to a set of doors that she recognized as leading to Adrien’s room. Mr. Gorilla rapped his knuckles on the door, then, after listening a moment, he opened it up and stepped back, allowing her to step inside before closing the door behind her.

    Marinette had to take a moment to take in the  _ vastness _ of Adrien’s room now that she wasn’t in the middle of trying to save him from an akuma. It was more than a little intimidating. Oppressive even. How could he live in a place like this?

    A soft grumble caught her attention, startling her out of her thoughts. Marinette quickly glanced around, taking in the huge, king-sized bed against the wall, and the mop of blond hair sticking out from under the blanket. He was curled up in a ball, almost like a kitten, under the quilt, his eyes scrunched closed and his cheeks flushed with sickness, every breath heavy and slightly rattly. Marinette smiled gently at him as she stepped close, taking in the soft lines of his sleeping face. Almost instinctively, she reached out to brush his messy hair away from his eyes, and he - even in sleep - leaned into the touch, almost like a cat. It made her giggle. 

    Marinette took a step back, then pulled off her backpack and removed the pile of papers that Adrien had missed for the week. Nino was originally going to bring it, but then Alya just  _ had _ to get involved… But still, this wasn’t so bad, was it? At least the Gorilla was nicer than Nathalie. And with Adrien asleep, there was little chance of her doing something embarrassing in front of him.

    “Princess?”

    She froze, going stiff with her back still turned towards her crush.

    “Princess, what are you doing here?”

    Slowly, Marinette turned back towards the bed, where Adrien blinked blearily at her, his emerald green eyes hazy and unfocused. “Adrien,” she began softly, her shock keeping her from stuttering, “did you just call me ‘Princess’?”

    He frowned, his head tilting to one side in a disturbingly familiar gesture. “Well, that’s what I always call you. Isn’t it?”

    Oh kwamis. Oh kwamis, this wasn’t happening. The only person that called her Princess was-

    “It suits you,” Adrien mumbled, lying back down and pulling his covers up to his chin, “because you’re my princess. My pretty princess.”

    Marinette choked, clapping her hand over her mouth, but Adrien already seemed to have drifted off again. Shaking slightly, Marinette stepped back up to the bed, then reached out and gently tousled Adrien’s hair into a style reminiscent of a certain black cat. What she saw caused her to sit down heavily at the edge of the bed, her fingers still half-buried in his locks. He mumbled in his sick, sleepy haze, shifting and nudging at her hand. Instinctively, she began to scratch his head, just as she sometimes did to Chat, and she wasn’t nearly as shocked as she should have been when a low rumble filled the air and she realized that  _ Adrien _ was  _ purring. _

    “Marinette?”

    She glanced down towards her purse, and the huge blue eyes of her kwami. “Yeah, Tikki?”

    “Are you going to be okay?”

    Marinette blinked once, glancing from Adrien to Tikki and back again. There was such a mixture of emotions turning in her chest that she didn’t really  _ know _ how she was going to be. Yet, strangely enough, the thought that rose out of the midst of it all brought a soft, almost dopey smile to her lips. “He thinks I’m pretty,” she murmured, a blush coloring her cheeks. 

    Tikki blinked at her a couple of times, then giggled. “Of course he thinks you’re pretty,” she grinned. “He’d have to be  _ blind _ not to.”

    Marinette managed a giggle at that, then she glanced towards the door, where Adrien’s bodyguard was undoubtedly waiting for her. With a slight sigh, she pushed herself to her feet, deciding that she could sort through her emotions once she got home. Then, in a stroke of boldness, she leaned down and pressed a soft kiss against Adrien’s hair. “Sleep well,  _ mon minou, _ ” she whispered, and was pleased to see a sleepy smile touch the boy’s lips. 

    With that she left the mansion, thanking Adrien’s bodyguard on the way out, to which he responded with a grunt and something resembling a smile. 

    When she went back to school the following Monday, Adrien was sitting in his usual seat in the front row, apparently fully recovered from his illness. “Good morning, Marinette,” he smiled kindly, his green eyes bright and clear, and - now that she’d had a weekend to reconcile it in her mind -  _ so _ like her Kitty. It brought a bright smile to her lips, thinking about what he’d said to her back in the mansion. 

    “Good morning, Adrien,” she replied cheerfully, sliding into her seat behind him, then leaning forward and whispering for his enhanced-hearing alone, “but don’t you mean, ‘Princess’?”

    He stiffened, then twisted sharply to look back her with his eyes blown wide. She smirked at him, fighting down the blush in her cheeks. His mouth opened slightly, shock and horror and - strangely -  _ relief _ warring for dominance in his eyes. Marinette let her expression morph into something softer, more reassuring. “It’s okay, Adrien,” she whispered. “Your secret’s safe with me.”

    A blush crept across his cheeks as well before a cautious little smile twitched the corner of his mouth. “I’m glad I can trust you, Princess,” he murmured back.

    Heat rushed through Marinette’s stomach, leaving her more than a little bit giddy. It felt so strange, hearing that nickname fall from  _ Adrien’s _ lips instead of Chat’s, but it felt so  _ right _ too. She grinned, then settled back in her chair as Adrien twisted back to the front.

    “Um,  _ girl,  _ what the heck was that?!” Alya hissed in her ear. 

    “What the heck was what?” Marinette replied innocently, smiling at her BFF.

    “You…  _ talked _ to him! Without stuttering once!”

    “Yeah?”

    “So what the heck happened when you went to his house Friday!?”

    Marinette blushed, then shrugged, a secret smile playing around her lips. “He… called me pretty.”

    Alya blinked at her a few times, then laughed, leaning back in her seat. “So that’s all it took? Was some kind of reassurance that he might possibly like you back?”

    “Yeah. Something like that,” Marinette blushed, smirking to herself as she watched Adrien’s ears turn red. He’d obviously heard them. And he obviously hadn’t realized that he’d done more than just call her by his pet name for her.

    Oh, this was going to be fun.


	5. Fess Up

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one spawned out of a desire to see some Alya and Adrien interaction.

    When Adrien inexplicably began avoiding Marinette, the poor girl was so caught up in her own stutter and avoidance tendencies that she didn’t notice.

_ Alya, _ on the other hand, noticed it instantly. That was why she had the boy in question cornered in the lunchroom while Nino kept her BFF distracted one bright Thursday afternoon. 

    “Um, Alya, I really do have to go, my father’s expecting me for lunch and-”

    “You’ve been complaining for months how he’s never there anyways, Agreste, he can wait a few extra minutes for you to explain what the  _ heck _ is going on here.”

    “I… I don’t know what you mean.”

    “Oh please,” Alya grumbled, rolling her eyes. “You have many talents, Sunshine, but the moment you start rubbing the back of your neck, I  _ know _ you’re lying. So fess up. What’s your deal with Marinette? Has she done something wrong?”

    “No!” Adrien cried immediately, his eyes wide and guileless and sincere. “No, Marinette’s done nothing wrong.”

    “Okay, so what’s up? Why are you going out of your way to avoid her?”

    “I… It’s… Ugh,” Adrien groaned, sitting down heavily in the corner while his eyes flickered uncertainly towards the ravenette in question. Alya quirked an eyebrow towards him, then her eyes widened as she caught sight of the soft blush brightening the boy’s cheeks.

    “No way,” Alya muttered. “Adrien, do you  _ like _ Marinette?”

    He winced, then quickly tore his gaze away, gluing it instead to the concrete. “Alya,” he whispered uncertainly, “is it possible to be in love with two people at once? And even if it  _ is _ possible, is that okay?”

    She blinked at him, her eyes very wide, then a gentle smile touched her lips and she sat down beside him. “Of course it’s possible,” she replied simply, bringing her knees up to her chest and leaning her chin on them. “It’s not a bad thing. It just means you’re human, like everyone else.”

    “But… I feel so disloyal,” he muttered. “I mean… Marinette’s great. She’s sweet and smart and creative and brave and she’s always been there for me. But… I fell in love with this other girl first. She’s strong and brave and funny and smart and selfless and she makes me want to be better.”

    “Can I ask you something?” Alya asked, and when he nodded she pressed on, “Are you and this other girl dating?”

    He shook his head. “She’s never really shown interest in me,” he admitted, and it hurt a little bit to see the pain in his eyes.

    “Okay. Then why do you feel disloyal? There’s no commitment there, right?”

    “Well no, but… I guess… I feel so strongly about her that the fact another girl is catching my eye… It scares me a little, I guess? If I can feel so much about someone, but still get a crush on someone else, what does that say about me? Was any of that actually real?”

    “Of course it was real, Adrien. You’re not the kind of person who takes emotions lightly. But feelings can change too, especially when they’re not reciprocated. It’s not  _ wrong _ for you to move on, but I understand that it can be difficult. What matters isn’t how you feel. It’s how you act. If you want to stay committed to this other girl, then you have to keep choosing her. But, if you feel like you’re ready to move on, then maybe give it a shot with Marinette.” It killed Alya to suggest that he stay with whoever his mystery love might be when she knew how big of a crush Marinette had on him, but she knew that she needed to respect his feelings as well. “Look, you don’t have to make a decision right this second, okay? But promise me one thing?”

    “Yeah?”

    “Don’t give up your friendships with  _ either _ of these girls just because you’re feeling torn about this, okay? Because I know you don’t have many friends, and I’d hate for you to lose them over this.”

    Adrien blinked at her, then managed a smile. “Okay. I promise.”

    “Good. Now, you want to come eat with us, or do you still have to run home?”

    He hesitated, then shook his head slightly. “No, I’ll stay with you guys.”

    Alya grinned. “There’s my Sunshine. Now come one. Nino and Marinette are waiting.”  _ Especially Marinette, _ Alya added mentally.

    But she wasn’t going to tell Adrien that.


	6. Maid Sama

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I started watching Maid Sama today, and literally all I could think of was how much Usui reminded me of Chat Noir. Thus, this little scene was born.

_      How did this happen? _

     It was all she could think as he pulled away from her, a gentle smile curling the lips that had just been pressed against hers, his emerald eyes sparkling with that warmth she’d seen so many times but never been able to put a name to. Ever since that horrifying night when he had discovered her secret: that she worked as a maid at the Miraculous Latte. Ever since he had stood up for her against those three punks at school, ever since he had watched her take care of the two stalkers at the cafe, ever since he had won a picture with her - the picture that now floated on the breeze towards the school courtyard. 

     The picture that he was now diving off the roof after. 

     “Adrien!” she shrieked, rushing to the edge, but he was already too far for her to reach, to far to catch his hand - but not too far to catch his smirk, and not too far to remember the soft words he’d whispered just before he jumped.

_ “Because I love you, Marinette.” _

     “No, no, no, no, no!” she mumbled frantically as she tripped down the stairs, hoping against hope that he would be alright when she reached the bottom. The double doors leading into the courtyard slammed open against her baker’s-daughter-trained shove and she staggered outside, searching frantically for him. 

     Only to seem him sitting calmly beside the pool, his shirt half-unbuttoned, his hair unkempt, scratches covering his arms and face, and a teasing grin firmly in place as he held up the perfectly-intact - and perfectly undiscovered - picture in his hand. “I know. I’m  _ paw _ some.”

     Marinette stared at him, mouth agape, chest heaving, hardly able to believe that of all things he could do, of all things he could  _ say _ , he decided to pun. And a pun based off of an  _ insult _ she had tried to throw at him, calling him a mangy cat and asserting that she would call him  _ Chat Noir _ from that point onward. 

     An assertion that she only just now realized she had broken up on the roof. 

     Something between a giggle and a sob escaped her mouth as she slumped to her knees, shaking her head at the concerned look that he gave her. 

     “Yeah,” she croaked weakly. “Yeah, you are pawesome.”


	7. Subtle Hints

     He’d started fantasizing about it after the Bubbler incident. That’s all it was though, or at least, all he thought it was. Ladybug had used her Lucky Charm in order to stop Chloe from kissing him, but surely that was just Ladybug being Ladybug. Surely she’d just noticed how uncomfortable he was, and decided to jump in because that was the kind of person she was. Still, that didn’t stop him from fantasizing, and that was the main reason when he found the answer to his poem in the stack of Valentines after the Dark Cupid battle that he’d convinced himself it might be from her.

     But then Horrificator happened. When they’d found the class in the basement, Ladybug had started to call out everyone’s names, and when she didn’t hear Adrien call back initially, she had sounded on the verge of panic. 

      _Could it be?_ he wondered. _Could Ladybug actually have a crush on me?_

     He kept watching for more signs after that. The way she’d looked at him when they met briefly during the Mime battle. How frantically she’d tried to ensure his safety when Jackady went after his father. And then Volpina, when she’d been willing to give up her Miraculous to save him.

     The fake him. But still, it was the thought that counted. 

     He decided to confront her about it one night as they were sitting on the Eiffel Tower. She was in a great mood that evening. A great enough mood that hopefully she wouldn’t shove him _off_ the Tower for teasing her. 

     “You look remarkably happy, my Lady,” he grinned.

     “It’s been a good week,” she replied, vague as ever, at the risk of revealing some detail that might accidentally put her identity at risk.

     “Might I enquire as to the cause of your happiness?”

     She shrugged. “I had fun yesterday, that’s all.”

     “Yesterday, you mean with the Despair Bear akuma?”

     “I guess you could say that,” she giggled.

     “Oh? In my opinion, that whole ordeal was more than anyone could _bear_.”

     “Ugh, _Chat_ ,” Ladybug groaned, leaning back to glower at him.

     “I’m just saying, are you sure there wasn’t some other reason why you’re so happy? There isn’t a _boy_ involved is there?”

     Ladybug flushed darker than her suit, her bluebell eyes growing very wide. “Wh-What would give you that impression?”

     “So there _is_ a boy?” Chat exclaimed, placing a hand over his heart and trying very hard not to let his nervousness show. “You _wound_ me, my Lady!”

     “Chat!”

     “So who is this boy? I need to know who my competition is for your affections.”

     “ _Chat!_ ”

     “It’s not that handsome blond model by any chance, is it? You always go starry-eyed when he’s around.”

     “Okay, enough!” Ladybug shouted, suddenly on her feet, her cheeks flushed and her shoulders tensed. “I get teased enough about it at school, I don’t need you on my case too!”

     Chat blinked up at her, surprised by her outburst. “Sorry, my Lady, I didn’t realize that it was a touchy subject,” he said gently, even though his stomach was inwardly fluttering. She hadn’t exactly confessed, but she might as well have. _Ladybug has a crush on me! Well, other me, but still!_ “There’s no shame in a celebrity crush, you know.”

     “He’s _not_ a celebrity crush,” Ladybug sighed, sitting back down and pulling her knees up to her chest. 

     Chat glanced quickly at her, his heart skipping a few beats in disappointment. “O-Oh.” Had he read her wrong then? Were they thinking about two different people?

     “I mean, he can’t be a celebrity crush if I know him personally,” Ladybug qualified, gazing off into the distance.

     Chat stiffened. He doubted she’d meant to say that. In fact, she doubted that she’d meant for him to hear it, given how softly she’d spoken. It took all his willpower just to breathe normally. _Ladybug knew him_ . That meant _he_ knew _Ladybug_. 

     Oh kwamis. Oh kwamis.

     “Anyway, Chat, I should probably head home,” Ladybug sighs, evidently unaware of his internal conflict. “I’ll see you tomorrow, alright?”

     “Y-Yeah,” Chat croaked back. “See you tomorrow.”

* * *

     He tried not to think about it in the months that followed. He _really_ did try. Ladybug didn’t want him to know her identity. She’d made that abundantly clear over their long partnership. And anyway, he hadn’t been _trying_ to find such an important clue to her identity when he’d asked. He was just looking for a little hope that she might one day fall in love with _all_ of him, the cat and the boy outside the mask. He didn’t even bring the matter up with Plagg. But he couldn’t stop his brain from noticing things. 

     The first time he had to bring his thoughts to a screeching halt was before the battle with Riposte, when a cute, petite girl with black hair and blue eyes demonstrated such natural battle instincts on her first day of fencing. The second time was when he made an off-handed comment to the same girl as he whisked her away from her birthday party, musing about how much her friends cared about her, and how incredible she must be for them to protect her the way they had. Then on a lonely night after a long day, he found himself on that girl’s balcony, marvelling in how comfortable he found spending time with her, in how easy she was to talk to, in how much she seemed to understand him, and how much he wanted to make her happy. 

     It had scared him in a way. Enough that he had avoided her balcony ever since that night. He couldn’t risk confirming the strange suspicion forming in his mind. He couldn’t betray his Lady’s trust like that. 

     But Marinette was hard to get away from. And if he was entirely honest with himself, he didn’t _want_ to get away from her. She was smart, capable, creative, sweet, selfless, kind, brave… And no matter how hard he tried _not_ to see, he just kept seeing more and more of it. 

     The day she rescued him from his crazed fans and found a way to sneak him into the theater to see his mom’s film. The day she escaped Captain Hardrock’s ship. How much like Ladybug she looked when she was chosen to play the heroine in Ms. Nightingale's music video. 

     It came to a head during Troublemaker, when a live shot was sent of Marinette’s room, festooned with photos of him. She’d denied having a crush on him when he teasingly confronted her about it later, but he wasn’t as stupid as Nino seemed to think. A quiet visit to Alya told him all he needed to know. 

     Marinette had a crush on him. Marinette knew him personally. Marinette was everything that Ladybug was, but she didn’t need a mask to show it. 

     It took all his willpower not to act differently around her. He didn’t always succeed, but he managed to avoid any suspicion. But even so, he wanted to tell her how much she meant to him, without a mask to dilute his sincerity. That was why he found himself pausing at the end of Heroe’s Day, searching for the words. 

     “I wanted to tell you, Rose was right earlier. You’re always helping people. Like when you helped Juleka overcome her class photo curse, or when you partnered Nathaniel and Marc to make that comic book, or when you helped me get to the movies so I could see my mother on the screen. That’s why everyone jumped at the chance to help you with the picnic! So, today, it was our turn to help you. You’re our everyday Ladybug. Have a good evening, Super-Marinette.”

     It was a thrill to see her blush, glancing away with a shy smile. He grinned back, then turned away to head to the car that was waiting for him. 

     “Adrien!”

     He turned back, a little startled, just in time for Marinette to crash straight into him. Then he had to wait patiently while she stuttered for a few seconds, took a deep breath, and quickly lean forward to kiss him on the cheek. “Thank you,” she whispered, blushing furiously.

     He grinned. “You’re welcome, Marinette.”

     He felt his cheeks heat up as the class broke into cheers and he walked away at a carefully measured pace, a broad, dopey smile lighting up his whole face. It was kind of a shame that he had to pretend not to know that she liked him. 

     It meant that he had to wait until he got home that night to squeal into his pillow.


	8. Possessive Chat

     He sat frowning up at the stars, his ears twitching back and forth, fingers nervously playing with his belt-tail as he waited, glancing occasionally at his baton.

     She was late. 

     She was  _ never _ late. Akuma attacks were another matter, but  _ he _ was always the last one to show up to patrol; his massive load of extracurriculars saw to that. Had he mixed up the time and she had left without him? Was there an akuma attack that he wasn’t aware of? Had something happened to her? 

     Just as he was preparing to call her for the umpteenth time, he heard a soft  _ clink _ from behind him and whirled around, just spotting the yo-yo wrapped around the railing at the opposite side of the platform before its owner appeared, landing in a graceful crouch.

     “Ladybug,” he sighed, visibly relaxing. 

     “Sorry I’m late, Chat” she smiled, walking towards him. “I had trouble getting away from a prior commitment.”

     “No need to a _ paw _ logize, m’Lady. This alley cat will always wait for you,” Chat Noir winked back, moving to stand. To his surprise, his partner made a slight negative gesture with her hand as she clipped her yo-yo to her belt. She sat beside him, dangling her legs off of the platform as she gazed into the night. 

     “It’s beautiful out, isn’t it, Chat?” she murmured conversationally, avoiding his eyes. 

     Chat watched her with a furrowed brow. “Sure is,” he replied, without glancing away. “M’Lady, are you okay?”

     “Sure,” she shrugged. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

     “First sign, you’re late. Second sign, you didn’t roll your eyes at my pun. Third sign, you didn’t hit me for that horrible pick-up line. Fourth sign, you’re usually all business on patrol, but instead you’ve decided to sit down and chat - pun not intended, by the way - even when we’re getting a late start. And finally, you’ve been crying; your eyes are almost as red as your suit. What’s wrong?”

     “So you admit you have horrible pick-up lines?”

     “There’s another sign: changing the subject.”

     His partner and friend of nearly three years hesitated, her jaw tightening. “It’s nothing, Kitty,” she said firmly, rising to her feet, refusing to look at him. 

     “It’s not nothing, Ladybug,” Chat frowned, rising to his feet as well. “Come on. You know that you can trust me with anything, right?”

     “I told you it’s  _ nothing _ , Chat. At least, nothing you can help me with. Just civilian drama. Now come on; we should get going.”

     Chat Noir didn’t have another chance to respond as his best friend leaped from the platform, leading the way along their circuit of the city, but he continued to watch her throughout the patrol. She was too quiet. Too pensive. Too aloof. A fierce protectiveness began to burn in his heart as he noticed the signs.

     Someone had hurt his Lady, and if he ever found out who…

     …he would end them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is in part an apology for being slow to update As You Wish. I promise I'll have the next chapter up soon, but its been a long week.


	9. Her Name

     “M’Lady?”

     “Yes, Chat?”

     “If I were ever to discover who you are, would you want me to tell you?”

     “Chat…”

     “Hey, I’m not gonna try on purpose! But you know, we’ve had some close calls in the past, like with Antibug or Lady Wi-Fi. If either of us were to discover the other’s identity, should we keep quiet, or should we tell the other?”

     “…I guess you have a point. I think… I would want to know if my identity had been compromised. If you manage to spot me, then maybe someone else could, too.”

     “And, if that day ever comes… can I reveal myself to you, too?”

     “No.”

     “But-”

     “It’s too dangerous, Chat. We can’t take that risk.”

     “…Okay. It’s a promise, m’Lady.”

     “Thank you, _Chaton_.”

* * *

     Adrien wasn’t certain _how_ it happened, but when the realization struck, it hit harder than a bolt of lightning - and of anyone in Paris, he should be pretty qualified to make that comparison. He _could_ however identify exactly _when_ it happened. He’d been standing at the bottom of the front stairs of the school building, chatting with Nino after class as normal, when he heard a familiar, inelegant _BWAH!!!_ and a moment later, he instinctively caught the small, warm body tumbling down the stairs. Huge, mortified blue eyes stared up at him, pink lips parted and cheeks flushed in embarrassment. 

     “Uh…” she squeaked. 

     “Careful Marinette, or I might think you’re falling for me,” he smirked, his nose twitching as her familiar scent washed over him. If possible, her eyes widened even further.

     Then she slumped forward, her forehead dropping against his chest and giving him a perfect view of the red ribbons in her hair. “Really? A pun _and_ a pick-up line all in one?” she grumbled. "You sound like Chat Noir."

     He chuckled easily in response and helped pull her upright. He was about to ask if she was alright when her head suddenly snapped up, zeroing in on a shy first-year student a few feet away, surrounded by a trio of tittering girls all snidely commenting on the quality of her outfit. 

     “Hey!” Marinette snapped, marching and interposing herself in the middle of the party. “That’s enough!”

     That was when it hit him: like a blinding flash of the _painfully_ obvious, leaving him in a slack-jawed daze as he watched her give the bullies a piece of her mind.

     “Dude, Adrien, you okay Bro?” Nino frowned. “You seem awfully red. You’re not getting a fever, are you?”

     “Uh… Yeah. Yeah, that’s probably it. Oh. My ride is here. See you, Nino,” he mumbled, for once grateful that his driver was so absurdly punctual. He landed rather heavily in the back seat, oblivious to the odd look that his driver shot at him. 

     Marinette was Ladybug. 

     He was positive of it. How he knew, he hadn’t the faintest idea, but that didn’t damage his conviction in the slightest. He had to tell her.

     He knew her name. 

* * *

     “M’Lady… can we talk?” Adrien began uncertainly, glancing cautiously towards her as they kicked their legs in the air at the top of the Eiffel Tower.

     “Of course, Chaton,” Ladybug - _Marinette_ \- smiled at him gently, her eyes bright and kind.

     “I… um…” _Meet her eyes, coward._ “Ladybug… do you remember what we talked about a few months ago?”

     “We’ve talked about a lot of things over the months, Chat. You’ll have to be more specific.”

     “You asked me - if I ever happen to learn who you are - you asked me to tell you.”

     She stiffened, turning rather sharply towards him, something like terror flicking through her eyes. “You… You mean…?”

     “Marinette.” Her breath hitched sharply, and he could see her hands trembling. “I’m right, aren’t I,” he whispered. “You’re Marinette Dupain-Cheng.”

     “How… How did you…?”

     “I… I couldn’t say, really. It just kind of clicked yesterday.”

     “But… But when… How…?”

     “I don’t think I should say. You don’t want to know who I am, right?”

     “I… didn’t say that,” she whispered, dropping her eyes from his and leaving him to stare at her, eyes wide and tail thrashing. “Some day, once we’d defeated Hawkmoth and any other threat that Paris faced, I’d hoped that we could reveal ourselves to each other. I… I _do_ want to know who you are, Chat. But I can’t let my personal feelings put you in danger. That’s why I insisted we wait.”

     “I’m… sorry.”

     “What for?”

     “For putting you in this position. I know this isn’t what you wanted, m’Lady. I guess I can only hope that this doesn’t change things between us.”

     “Chat.” 

     Adrien startled, his pupils dilating sharply when he felt her hand on his cheek. She was still shaking, and he could see the anxiety hovering in her eyes, but she was still forcing herself to remain calm in order to reassure him. “Nothing could ever come between us. You know that, right? You’re my best friend. My partner. This may be something that we have to work through, but it’s not going to tear us apart. I promise.”

     Slowly, he felt himself relax, a cautious smile touching his lips. “Thank you… Marinette.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was another one of those on-a-whim type stories. It just kind of happened this morning, but I really enjoyed the LadyNoir dynamic.


End file.
